Traitors! "With this new upscale stuff they've deserted their loyal core audience of blue-collar Joe and Jill. We really liked 'em when they were about the $995 Decco. Now they've sold out. They're becoming just like the rest of the high end."

Heroes! "They've always been about value. Now they're flexing their muscle to bring into the pricier sector the same philosophy of more for less. Nobody's left behind. Present models cover all price points from $449 - $4.499. Just because that show had $20.000 speaker doesn't mean you have to."

Photo from our contributor John Darko and his report on DigitalAudioReview.net.au

Standing grand with a new pre and integrated, Peachtree are spreading their wings. In public perception and reviews alike they've long since moved up the food chain. They went from initial value offerings for PC users to acknowledged performers often competing at the pack's frontline. That's been near unanimous consensus for their D/A converters in particular. If those were built into multi-tasking machines they usually were judged to be their strongest suit.

Peachtree's new all-in-one flagship sets out to rewrite that perception. No more 'digital favouritism'. True, it's still a quad-paralleled ESS Sabre32 9018 Reference DAC with galvanically isolated asynchronous 24/192 USB and fixed 2V/448Ω output. But it's also a standalone analog or digital hybrid preamp with 2x12AU7 buffer. And headphone amp. And full-function drive-anything high-power integrated. Its preout can even high-pass the main speakers at 80Hz—2nd order—so a subwoofer doesn't have to. Another switch performs bypass surgery for home theater.
The Grand Integrated thus purports to be an equal excellence opportunity. It means to be first on all things analog too.

Enter perennial class D naysayers. They will poo-poo the permanently bridged B&O ICEpower® 250ASX2 modules on principle, never mind that they're the Danes' latest and best and offer 121dB of dynamic range. Or that Germany's HifiTestmeasured this output stage as delivering an honest 720 watts into 4 ohms (480w/8Ω). Those who listen first then judge would remind D-tractors. The preceding driver stage has a large sonic impact. Not all ICEpower amps are created equal. One can't predict been there done that. Conceptually related to how Rogue Audio's $3.995 Medusa [below]* and $2.995 Hydra amps combine
two 12AU7 with uCD Hypex modules, Peachtree's Grand Integrated precedes its switching output stage with Bascom King's unity-gain tube buffer for valves + class D.

This works on both the main and headphone outputs but can be defeated by infrared which also does polarity inversion, input switching, volume and mute.
Holding the currently selected input for a second meanwhile engages display dim for undisturbed night-time listening. For final assembly and quality control of their Grand reference models, Peachtree has moved operations back to the US (chassis and tube buffer are still sourced from the PRC). They've also specified an upgraded full-metal jacket with 6mm face plate and engraved rather than silk-screened type on the front.

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* The Grand Integrated doubles the Medusa's power, adds a multi-input DAC, preamp, headphone socket, remote and more features yet charges only a few hundred more. Even the traitors can't refute that high value is alive and well in Peachtree's new top model.

"We finally wanted a no-holds-barred unit. This meant something mere mortals could afford who want great speakers but not invest twenty grand in metal just to drive them well. We used the big Sonus Fabers at RMAF also to show a real-world application. Since then we’ve used Martin Logan Montis; Dynaudio C1 and C2; B&W 800/802; Wilson Sasha, Sophia and XLF; Totem Element Metal and Wind; and Magnepan 1.7 and 3.7. Now you can buy the speakers of your dreams at two or twenty grand regardless of how hard of a load they present and be secure in the knowledge that Peachtree can make them sing for a relatively small investment."

Last year's fall launch at the Rocky Mountain Audio Festival made that point obvious with those big luxurious Sonus Faber speakers. Now Peachtree is playing the big leagues.
An underdog brand ready for a title bout? That certainly seems the intended impression right down to a ship weight of 16.3kg/36lbs and the now twinned 12AU7/ECC82 which are plentiful both OEM and current production.

Fine modern specimens come from the Shuguang Black Bottle and Psvane T Series as well as Synergy Hifi and TJ/Full Music. And high rollers no longer need to play footsies (remove the rubber bumpers) to pull out the guts from the ovoid cover à la iNova. Here a few screws remove the top cover for easy access. But first a few more words on drivers and output stages and the business end to more fully appreciate the unit's comprehensive connectivity.